Foot supporting device for shoes



Jan. 11, 1949. e. E. BURFORD I FOOT SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SHOES Filed Jan. 30. 194

E? E 65 Q 4 5622697? Patented Jan. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE FOOT SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR SHOES George E. Burford, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application January 30, 1946, Serial No. 644,312

4 Claims.

My invention relates to appliances used in shoes for the purpose of distributing the weight of the body of the wearer in respect to the bottom of the foot to prevent, as well as correct, deformities such as fallen arches, callouses, etc.

In walking it is necessary that each foot successively should so function as to bear the weight of the body for distribution to the different parts of the footand naturally a sidewise rolling motion is imparted to the foot at eachstep. That is to say, the weight of the body is received by the heel of the foot and is transferred to the outer or Weight bearing arch--relieved of shock by the inner or spring archand is then shifted to the ball of the foot from approximately the fourth metatarsal across to the first metatarsal where the elasticity of the step is then borne by the big toe. Thus in the normal functioning of the foot it is very necessary that the different parts of the foot should properly bear their share in supporting the weight of the body of the wearer the arch or bridge performing its function in shifting the weight of the body from the heel to the ball of the foot, and equally important is the proper shifting of the weight in respect to the ball of the foot to promote a forward and lateral motion that will bring the metatarsals into play as the weight of the body is imposed on one foot and then the other as the wearer progresses in walking.

Having in mind the functioning of the foot in this manner my invention contemplates the formation of a shoe appliance that will effectively assist the foot in receiving and distributing the weight of the body of the wearer to relieve the 0s calcis, cuboid, cuneiform and metatarsal bones, as well as the phalangeal joint; in the present instance including a seat for the heel in the form of a stadium-with its three sides encompassed for stabilization and to relieve the 0s calcis bone-and from the sides of this stadium arch supports extend forwardly to an improved metatarsal bridge for effectively distributing the weight of the body at the ball of the foot.

In the following specifications I have described the particular formation of the appliance, as well as the functioning of the several parts thereof, and what I claim as my invention is more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the appliance constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the top or cover sheet removed;

Fig. 3 is an edge View of Fig. 2, looking at the side of the arch supporting member which receives the spring arch of the foot;

Fig. 4 is a similar View of the opposite edge of the appliance;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the appliance, the bottom cover being broken away to show the transverse bridge which supports the metatarsals; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views which are indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2.

In the construction of the appliance, enclosed within upper and lower cover sheets i 0, l I, I provide a semi-circular end piece l2 from which project forwardly spaced apart members or strips l3 and M to the forward part of the appliance where one of the members, [3, is extended laterally inward, at l5, and joined to the companion member to hold them in spaced relation as well as support associated parts, hereinafter referred to, which comprise the metatarsal bridge.

The upper surface of the semi-circular end piece I2 is inclined from its three outer sides inwardly producing a stadium [6 to receive the heel of the foot, and the forwardly projecting members l3, l4, extending from the opposite sides of the open end of the stadium, form the arch supports, for which purpose each member is thicker at its outer edge and inclines inwardly transversely throughout its length to the inner edge where it is reduced to a feather-edge. The member I3, supporting the weight bearing arch of the foot, is wider and thicker at its outer edge than the member it which lightly engages the spring bearing arch, and in this instance, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, this member or longitudinal bridge which carries the Weight of the body on the outside of the foot is abruptly higher immediately in advance of the stadium, at [3a, to apply the greater pressure adjoining the ball of the heel to thereby maintain this part of the arch of the foot in natural form,

The parts of the appliance so far. described may be constructed of leather, in which case the members forming the arch supports are preferably built up of upper and lower pieces with inserts, as Ma (Fig. 4), but it will be understood that the several parts may be formed in a single piece including molding the same from plastic material.

Another important feature of my invention is in the construction of the improved form of metatarsal bridge extending between the arch supporting members l3 and I4 at the forward ends of the latter, said bridge including an oval shape pad H! of laminated leather or plastic material which extends across the outer ends of the arch supporting members, and in connection with this pad I provide a small disk ll located at the underside of the thin connecting piece 15 to form a hump IS the purpose of which is to fit into the hollow at the intermediate portion of the ball of the foot and receive the pressure from the weight of the body at this point to thereby relieve what is known as Mortons Toe, or cramping of the fourth and fifth toes. The disk may be flat as shown in Fig, 6 to form a fiat hump, but is preferably dished upward as in Fig. 7 to provide a degree of resiliency, it being noted that in both of these figures of the drawings the cover sheets are omitted.

The cover sheets, which provide smooth top and bottom surfaces for the appliance, are preferably of thin material such as usually employed in devices of this kind, the said sheets being shaped as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings to extend beyond the metatarsal bridge and brought to a sharp point on the side corresponding with the inside of the foot to prevent the appliance from slipping forward when worn in the shoe.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that an appliance of this character consponding part of the arch of the foot and correctly transfer the weight of the body to the ball of the foot when the metatarsal bridge comes into play to properly shift the pressure to the big toe as the foot leaves the ground, the Pad with its cooperating hump tending to equalize the pressure on the ball of the foot. Thus the several elements constituting the foot supporting appliance cooperate effectively in assisting the structure of the foot to function normally in carrying the weight of the body on one foot and then the other, it being understood that similar appliances are employed in connection with the shoes of both feet of the wearer or person using the appliances.

I claim:

1. A shoe appliance for assuring the proper functioning of the different parts of the foot in distributing the weight of a walking person from the heel through the weight-bearing arch on the outer portion of the foot and to the metatarsal bones, comprising a semi-circular heel structure adapted to be worn beneath the heel, having an upper surface which is inclined from the rear and side edges inwardly and downwardly to form a stadium-shaped formation with the open side thereof directed forwardly, spaced apart longitudinally and continuously extending elongated members positioned on opposite sides of said apliance and extending forwardly from said semicircular heel structure, said spaced-apart longitudinally extending members provided with thickened outer edges and, feathered inner edges which serve as foot supporting surfaces, the inner longitudinal edges of said members being spaced apart throughout the length of said members and extending in a substantially straight line throughout the central portion of said appliance, the elongated member supporting the outer or weight-bearing arch of the foot being wider and higher than the opposite member which supports the inner or spring arch of the foot, each of said longitudinally extending members formed with a forwardly and rearwardly inclined upper surface and provided with apices intermediate the lengths thereof which are positioned forward of the semi-circular heel structure, and a metatarsal bridge in the form of a transversely extending pad which connects the forward ends of the longitudinally extending members to provide a bearing for the ball of the foot and the metatarsal bones thereof.

2. A shoe appliance to assure proper function ing of the different parts of the structure of the foot in carrying the weight of the body in walking comprising a semi-circular end piece in the form of a stadium, the three outer sides sloping inwardly from the outer edges thereof, to stabilize the seating Of the heel of the foot therein, arch supporting members extending forwardly and continuously from the sides of the semi-circular end piece, said members being inclined downwardly from the outer to the inner longitudinal edges which are in spaced relationship, one of said supporting members being thicker and wider than the other and higher adjoinin the semi-circular end piece, said inner longitudinal edges being feathered and extending in a substantially straight line throughout the central portion of said appliance, and a metatarsal bridge including a generally oval shaped pad ex tending transversely across the forward end of the appliance from one side to the other and having a raised portion intermediate the sides thereof to fit in the hollow portion of the ball of the foot.

3. A shoe appliance to assure the proper functioning of the different parts of the structure of the foot in carrying the weight of the body in walking, in accordance with claim 2 and characterized by the provision of an upwardly dished disk below the pad to form a resilient raised portion or hump.

4. A shoe appliance to assure proper functioning of the different parts of the structure of the foot in carrying the weight of the body in walking comprising a semi-circular end piece in the form of a stadium, the three outer sides sloping inwardly from the raised outer edges thereof to stabilize the seating of the heel of the foot therein, arch supporting members extending forwardly from the sides of the semi-circular end piece, said members being inclined downwardly from the outer to the inner longitudinal edges as well as inclined in opposite directions longitudinally from an intermediate raised portion with the intermediate raised portion of the weight bearing arch supporting member located adjoining the semi-circular end piece, said inner longitudinal edges being spaced apart throughout the length of said members and extending in a substantially straight line throughout the central portion of said appliance, a metatarsal bridge in the form of a generally ova1 shaped pad extending transversely across the forward end of the appliance and including an upwardly dished disk below the pad to provide a resilient raised portion or hump to fit within the hollow of the ball of the foot, and cover sheets extending beyond the forward end of the appliance and brought to a point at the side corresponding with the inside of the foot to prevent slipping of the appliance in the shoe.

GEORGE E. BURFORD.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

